Uttar Pradesh Ballia district District Magistrate IAS officer Aditi Singh has effectively banned Hindu festivals by imposing section 144 for the next two months. As many Hindu festivals like Navratri, Bhai Dhooj and Diwali are approaching in these two months, the move has been widely criticised. On the other hand the Delhi government has shown the way for other state governments by enforcing a complete ban on “storage, sale and use of firecrackers”.
The secular state’s war on Hindu festivals, which was once dismissed as a fringe conspiracy, is now a fait accompli. When we look back at the history of the post-liberalization era, the battle against Diwali crackers waged by our elites, Anglophone class and rabid Hindu haters, will be remembered as the main thrust of the ‘Ban Hindu festivals’ movement.
The secular state has been curbing and in some cases totally banning Hindu festivals citing many superfluous reasons. The judiciary, not wanting to be left behind, goes out of its way to aid so-called activists in destroying sanatani culture. From Dahi Handi to Diwali crackers everything fun and colourful has been snatched from Hindu kids. It has only worsened since Covid-19 as the government, judiciary and bureaucracy has taken refuge in the virus to make it difficult for Hindus.
The new in line is Aditi Singh IAS, the DM of Ballia, UP who has imposed section 144 in the district from September 15 to November 15. In this period many important occasions such as Vishwakarma Puja, Anant Chaturdasi, Chahallum festival, Navratri, Maha Navami, Dussehra, Vijayadashami, Baravafat, Diwali, Govardan Puja, Bhaiya Dooj/ Chitragupta Jayanti and Chhath Puja. However by imposing section 144, the DM has made sure to pipe down the celebrations of these festivals.
The order issued by her reads that “five or more than five persons would not gather together as a group or take out any procession at any public places within the district limits. There will be no demonstration. No one will spread such rumors which will adversely affect peace and order. It will be necessary to obtain permission from the competent authority for processions etc”. The order exempts “traditional, social or religious rites and customs and Friday prayers”. How this exemption would be implemented is anyone’s guess and the recent temple demolition drive in Karnataka is a proof of that.
While events intertwined with Hindu festivals like Jallikattu, Dahi Handi, water spraying on Holi were banned and restricted citing animal rights, safety, environment, etc, Covid-19 has given on platter a chance to destroy Hindu festivals forever. In Tamil Nadu the DMK government had banned Hindus from performing Pitru Tarpan in water bodies, closed temples for public dharshan on important occasions such as Gokulashtami, Ganesh Chathurthi, etc. It even imposed more severe restrictions by banning Ganesh Pandals and arresting murti makers.
Hindus had to worship the deities by standing in front of the gates and even from there they were chased away by police all in the name of Covid-19 preventive restrictions. The neighbouring state Kerala had relaxed the restrictions for Eid but blamed it on Onam when the cases started spiking again. BJP ruled UP wasn’t sparing Hindus either when it decided to meekly accept the Supreme Court’s order banning Kanwar Yatra. The only solace is that CM Yogi Adityanth, unlike his counterparts, tried to give relaxations for Gokulashtami and if not for the SC order Kanwar Yatra could have happened.
Even though it appears like Hindus are well aware of this partisan behaviour of the secular state, judiciary and bureaucracy in social media, Urban Hindus in large meekly accept this and follow the restrictions. Moreover through constant virtue signalling and campaigning among the school going children, anti-sanatanis have been “convinced most Hindus that their festivals are just a bunch of unnecessary, environmentally polluting activities and there’s no other value to them”.
Nothing explains the enthusiasm to completely ban “storage, sale and use” of crackers, and follow that ban citing environmental and health hazards, when the primary sources such as smoke guzzling vehicles, tobacco and alcohol are safe to be stored, sold and used. Other pagan cultures were brought to their knees by destroying their festivals and sanatana dharma may face the same fate unless the anti-sanatani forces are stopped in time.
(Featured Image Source: DNA)
